Glucose Transporter-1 (GLUT-1) Immunoreactivity in Benign, Premalignant and Malignant Lesions of the Gallbladder

Abstract

GLUT-1 is a transmembrane glucose transport protein that allows the facilitated transport of glucose into cells, normally expressed in tissues which depend mainly on glucose metabolism. Enhanced expression of GLUT-1 can also be found in a large spectrum of carcinomas. This study aimed to investigate GLUT-1 expression in gallbladder tissue: from normal tissue samples, hyperplasias, low-grade and high-grade dysplasias to gallbladder carcinomas. In all, 115 archived samples of gallbladder tissue from 68 patients, presented after cholecystectomy, were immunohistochemically stained for GLUT-1. According to the intensity of GLUT-1 immunoreactivity, samples were divided into negative (stained 0-10% of cells stained), positive with weak to moderate (10-50%) and positive with strong (>50%) GLUT-1 expression. The GLUT-1 immunoreactivity of the samples showed a characteristic increase from premalignant lesions to carcinomas. Normal gallbladder tissue samples did not express GLUT-1 (100%). Weak expression was shown only focally in hyperplasias, but to a greater extent with low-grade dysplasias (20%), high-grade dysplasias (40%) and carcinomas (51.8%). Normal gallbladder tissue is GLUT-1 negative. GLUT-1 expression in carcinoma tissue is significantly higher than in dysplastic lesions. Strong GLUT-1 expression indicates 100% specificity for detecting gallbladder carcinomas. Therefore, GLUT-1 is a candidate as a diagnostic as well as a tissue prognostic marker in gallbladder carcinoma patients.

The Evolving Role of Pathology in New Developments, Classification, Terminology, and Diagnosis of Pancreatobiliary Neoplasms

“…132-134 GLUT1, P-cadherin, CD24, and p53 are other potential distinguishing markers under investigation for the diagnosis of gallbladder adenocarcinoma and are positive in this tumor but negative in reactive gallbladder mucosa. 135,136 p16 is positive in almost half of gallbladders with high-grade dysplasia and a quarter of invasive gallbladder cancers but is negative in normal or reactive gallbladder epithelium. 137 However, none of the latter stains are used routinely for diagnosis.…”

Clinical impact of the Warburg effect in gastrointestinal cancer (Review)

“…Continued. (44,45), CRC (46,47), pancreatic cancer, HCC (48), and gallbladder cancer (49,50) (Table III). Glut1 expression has the potential to serve as a biomarker for cancer.…”

Value of glut-1 and koc markers in the differential diagnosis of reactive mesothelial hyperplasia, malignant mesothelioma and pulmonary adenocarcinoma

“…Th is event is realized by glucose transport facilitating proteins whose secretion and activity are regulated by some growth factors and oncogenes (12)(13)(14). Th e increased glucose uptake of malignant cells leads to excessive secretion of these carrier proteins (13)(14)(15).…”

“…Th e increased glucose uptake of malignant cells leads to excessive secretion of these carrier proteins (13)(14)(15). GLUT-1 (glucose transporter isoform-1) is a member of the glucose transport facilitator family consisting of 14 members and facilitates the entry of glucose into the cell (12,14,16,17). It is physiologically secreted and can be found by IHC in all cells and tissues that use glucose and in particular erythrocyte membranes, the blood-brain barrier and the perineurium of peripheral nerves (11).…”

“…It is physiologically secreted and can be found by IHC in all cells and tissues that use glucose and in particular erythrocyte membranes, the blood-brain barrier and the perineurium of peripheral nerves (11). However, GLUT-1 does not exist or exists in low amounts in most epithelial tissues (12,14,15,(17)(18)(19).…”